African leaders have declared 12 December to be the International Day of Digital Solidarity as a tribute to the consensus reached by world leaders to adopt the Digital Solidarity Agenda and the Digital Solidarity Fund in the two documents of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS), which closed yesterday.
Making the announcement during a press conference, Abdoulaye Wade, the President of Senegal, said the Day of Digital Solidarity will be celebrated worldwide on 12 December 2004 for the first time. He called on governments, the private sector and civil societies, particularly the youth, to make it a day that creates awareness on the digital divide and access to information. He urged all concerned to hold continental meetings so that preparations can be made to celebrate the day.
Festus Mogae, the President of Botswana, said in a show of support for the declaration, that it was now time to move towards attaining digital connectivity. He added that declaring the International Day would be one way of making sure that the promises made in this Summit are translated into action.
Abselom Thembe Dlamini, Prime Minister of Swaziland, affirming his government’s support for the Day, said, ‘Declaring December 12 as an International Day is a reaffirmation of our commitment that we mean to make this work. That the Digital Solidarity Fund will go a long way in assisting us to achieve digital connectivity.”
The three-day Summit wrapped yesterday with world leaders endorsing the Declaration of Principles and Plan of Action. The second phase will be held in November 2005 in Tunis.